Mark McGhee has opened up on his return to management with English League One side Barnet.

The bumbling Bees are in the relegation zone and have turned to the veteran boss to help them out of the danger zone.

He replaced 32-year-old Rossi Eames, who took up a new role within the club, and the former Scotland assistant says football is in his blood, despite enduring a tough 2017 after parting company with both Motherwell and the national team.

McGhee admits he's questioned his lifelong association with the beautiful game, but continuing life in the dugout was too much of an enticing proposition.

Mark McGhee left his job as assistant to Gordon Strachan last month

He told footbal.london : "I left school at 16 - I could've done other things. For a while I was training to be an architect. But I've had 44 years in football: it’s what I do. It’s what I am.

"Sometimes I've questioned the value of that, but I see people like Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson : if it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for me.

"I’m a football person: I love working with young players, I love winning football matches. The only way I can put it is: this is what I do. Without it, I feel a little bit adrift. I have other interests - trust me, I’m not some saddo who doesn't have anything else other than football, but football is my life."

Mark McGhee was also bagged by Motherwell earlier this year (Image: SNS Group)

McGhee admits there were times working with his close pal Gordon Strachan he found tough. The former Motherwell and Aberdeen boss, who notoriously had a bust-up with Dons fans in the stand, accepts being a No.2 is different to being the person who makes the decisions.

The 60-year-old admits he learned plenty of things working with Scotland's best which will help him in his new role with The Bees.

He added: "I found it very difficult at first being assistant. On the first couple of trips people would shout across the table 'Gaffer', I’d look round and they’d look straight past me and at Gordon.

Mark McGhee says he learned a lot from his time with the national team

"That took a bit of getting used to, but I was able to see it from a different perspective. It reminded me of a lot of things that are important, that become clouded in a sea of detail. Football is a simple game - the complicated bit is what the players do, the bits of skill and the things you can’t coach.

"Standing back and watching those Scotland players reminded me of standards, and what’s possible, in ability but in fitness and strength. It’s what we should be aspiring to here: these lads might never play for Real Madrid, but we can get fitter and stronger, and they can practise their skills and be more complete footballers."